Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-30
Expressions of sacramentans.


Following are views of some of the Off
cials of the California Fruit Union located
in Sacramento:
II. A. Fairbanks, Secretary of the Cali.
fornia Fruit Union, being interviewed upon
| the above, said:
Anything regarding the seasons shipping
East on my part will be entirely guess
work, as ali | have had time to do SO far is
to look after details in the office. As soon
as the seasons work is done. which will be
with the first rains, expect to get together
and into shape the business of the year.
From the duplicate account of sales which
we have on Ele, we can estimate exactly
what each market has received and exactly
what 1t has cost to put it there, and the
amount it nets the consignor. am of the
opinion that this comparative table will
disclose the following facts as regards ship
ments made by the Fruit Union
Chicago and Boston will lead in prices !:
Minneapolis and st. Paul will follow
closely, and New Orleans would also figure
in this second-class were it not for the cars
which were detained in the washout on the
Southern Pacific near Tucson, and which
sold on arriving at destination for simply
nothing. Leaving these cars out of the
question, the shipments to New Orleans
would rank in net prices with MINNEAPOLIS
| and st. Paul. st. Louis will, | think fol-
| low next, and Omaha, Kansas CITY. New
York and Philadelphia will rank in about
| the order named though as l said at the
outset, this is all guess work
| Regarding auction sales in the extreme
Eastern cities, the matter is still an open
question with ME. Boston has with
hardly aa exception, and these ALWAYS
| traceable TO causeS-such IS DELAYS in ar
rival of escs, poor condition on arrival, or
something OF this kind-done well, and I
| consider the auction plan there a success.
New York, in some instances, has done re.
markedly well. but in very MANY very
! poorly, while the auction sales in Ph:ladeI
| phia are an utter failure. Many mistakes
IN shipping to these markets can with ordi-
nary care be corrected another wear.
! 1t was wholly an experiment this wear
| not only to the .consgnor. but 10 the con-
i-s5gnee as well. We have all learned many
things. One of these is, that with the
freight and time in:s-ansit fixed where they
have been the past season, there is.a limit
to the consumption in both New y ork and
Boston, even with their millions Of Visiting
months. l believe Boston will pay,hetter
for strictly first-ciess fruit than any CITY in
the Union, but also think for anything the
least shade off condition, that Chicago is
fRice the market
The railroad people maze freateG uS very
veil, but at the same tiBse the DELAYS haze
besa both frequent and serious. The fact
nevertheless remains that unless we can
get both lower freight and more uniform
time IN any year like the present, when
Eastern domestic grapes. foG instance, are
very plainly, ge cannot hope to compete
with them. They have retaile& their home
grown grapes sc prices averaging probably
not over tTo aud one-balf cents, and made
money, while We are compelled to get at
least seven cents before we arise at the
cost LAID doZD. Then figure that because
Of delays in transit, if only of feg hours,
thereby causing the fruit to be carried in
the different markets another day. only
oi1e-half the fruit is in even fair condition,
and you soon see at what figure our grapes
mus be sold before the shipper nets cent,
while at the same time domestic grapes are
retailing At possibly two cents per pound.
and only one day from the vines.
Returns Kill also show that great deal
more care must be taken in packing. In
very many casss, particularly in the cities